Desktop changes after startup

[Guest]

Hello, my mom's computer has started acting a bit "funny" lately. When she
starts it up it is in the destop settings that she wants it at then after it
is done booting up it changes to larger icons and the desktop icons are all
"highlighted". It is more of an annoying thing as she need to always go in
and change the settings everytime she starts up the computer. She has
Windows XP Home Edition on her computer. Don't remember what brand of
computer but will check. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Elmo]

Hello, my mom's computer has started acting a bit "funny" lately. When she
starts it up it is in the destop settings that she wants it at then after it
is done booting up it changes to larger icons and the desktop icons are all
"highlighted". It is more of an annoying thing as she need to always go in
and change the settings everytime she starts up the computer. She has
Windows XP Home Edition on her computer. Don't remember what brand of
computer but will check. Thanks in advance for any help.

Try this registry fix.

Line 30. Windows XP Doesn't Save User Settings: savesettings.reg

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

hth.

 

[Guest]

I tried it but it didn't take care of the problem. The exact problem that
seems to be happening is that after the computer boots, the desktop settings
are changing to low 8 bit color from high 24 bit. Funny tho, there isn't an
8 bit listed now when I went back to see what the options were for the
settings. I know that my mom has quite a few games on her computer and this
seemed to have happened after she found something called "spyspotter" on her
computer according to her. Any other thoughts out there??

:

 

[Elmo]

I tried it but it didn't take care of the problem. The exact problem that
seems to be happening is that after the computer boots, the desktop settings
are changing to low 8 bit color from high 24 bit. Funny tho, there isn't an
8 bit listed now when I went back to see what the options were for the
settings. I know that my mom has quite a few games on her computer and this
seemed to have happened after she found something called "spyspotter" on her
computer according to her. Any other thoughts out there??

:

Eight-bit is 256 colors.

Spyspotter is not recommended software.
http://www.2-spyware.com/review-spyspotter.html

Look in the Start Menu's Startup folder and see what's running. Since
this happens after Windows opens, I think it may be opening from there.
You can also click Start, Run, type:

msconfig

Press Enter key, click the Startup tab and see if anything there is
unwanted. If so, deselect it and restart the system as a test. If that
stops the change in resolution, ask here about how to prevent the
particular program from running. You can try one program at a time till
the offending program is narrowed down.

 

[Malke]

I tried it but it didn't take care of the problem. The exact problem
that seems to be happening is that after the computer boots, the
desktop settings
are changing to low 8 bit color from high 24 bit. Funny tho, there
isn't an 8 bit listed now when I went back to see what the options
were for the
settings. I know that my mom has quite a few games on her computer
and this seemed to have happened after she found something called
"spyspotter" on her
computer according to her. Any other thoughts out there??

Hi, Rhonda. Your mom's computer sounds like it has several things wrong
with it. First of all, SpySpotter is malware so there is a high
probability that her computer is infested. Secondly, the video card may
be going. I'll give you ways to check for both problems, but probably
the best course of action would be for your mom to take the machine to
a professional computer repair shop (not your local version of
BigStoreUSA). I'm not saying this to hurt your feelings, just being
practical.

A. Malware removal:

Go through these general malware removal steps systematically -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

Include scanning with either Sysclean or Multi_AV, plus Ewido. Do all
prep/finishing work and follow instructions to do all scans in Safe
Mode.

When all else fails, run HijackThis and post your log in one of the
specialty forums listed at the link above (not here, please).

B. Video problem (to be addressed *after* you know the machine is virus
and malware-free):

1. Update the video card drivers. Get them from:

a. The device mftr.'s website; OR
b. The motherboard mftr.'s website if hardware is onboard; OR
c. The OEM's website for your specific machine if you have an OEM
computer (HP, Dell, Sony, etc.).

Read the installation instructions on the website where you get the
drivers.

To find out what hardware is in your computer:

a. Read any documentation you got when you bought the computer.
b. If the computer is OEM, go to the OEM's website for your specific
model machine and look at the specs (you'll be there to get the drivers
anyway)
c. Download, install and run a free system inventory program like Belarc
Advisor. The older Aida32 is good for this, too.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html - Belarc Advisor
http://www.aumha.org/free.htm - Aida32 (hosted on Jim Eshelman's site)

2. If updating the drivers doesn't help, then the hardware is probably
failing. Test by uninstalling the video card and swapping it out for a
known-working one. If that works fine, then discard the original card.
If the original video chip is on the motherboard, obviously you can't
remove it but you can disable it in the BIOS and put in an AGP, PCI-e,
or even a PCI card to check.

Malke

 

[Guest]

THANKS! That did the trick. It was one of her games starting at startup.
Took it off startup and now it works perfectly!! Not sure why I didn't think
of that one before! Yeah, that Spyspotter got on her computer somehow
(probably along with a game download or an accidental click) but I think I
had gotten it completely removed from her computer. Too bad that software
needs to put those extra "add-ins" along with progams - even ones that aren't
"FREE"!
Thanks Much!! :0)